Submitted by: Submitted by krice134
Views: 469
Words: 485
Pages: 2
Category: Other Topics
Date Submitted: 04/27/2011 09:39 AM
Student Name Kathy Rice
Course/Number CJS/200
Date 4/12/11
Instructor Name*Rosalyn Hall
Sociological Theories
[Crime is not something a person is born to do. It may likely the result of the social
conditions under which a person finds him/herself. Those who may be socially
disadvantaged because of poverty or other factors such as racial discrimination,
may be more likely to commit crimes because other avenues to success have been
closed off. High-crime areas will develop their own cultures that may in constant conflict
with the dominant culture and create a cycle of crime that claims the youth who grow up
in the area and go on to be career criminals.] [textbook]
Life Course Theories
[Even though criminal behavior usually begins after the age of 14, the factors that
led to that behavior start much earlier. To fully understand why crime occurs, then,
criminologists must better understand problems that occur in early childhood and how
those problems predict ones behavior later in life. The question now, becomes whether
ones behavior will necessarily leads to a life of crime, or whether it may be used
as a warning to prevent a life of crime from taking place.] [ textbook]
The crime trend that I chose is Drugs and Alcohol and Crime:
Life course theories relate to this trend in my way. When one grow up in poverty, they
tend to become criminals later in life. One may sell drugs for a living because of the fast
and easy money to be made. Others may turn to drugs and become addict to them
which, also leads to further crime, such as, prostitution, and robbery.
[Although most people quickly think of assault and theft as the two most common
drug crimes, the largest connection between drug use and crime is driving under
the influence and possession of drugs. This is simply because a drug crime is
defined as any crime that a criminal faces, a charge with of under the influence of
drugs....